Hello again! It’s been quite a while since my last post, and as one would expect a lot has happened in regards to my capstone experience at OSU. Overall it has been a very positive experience, and I have gotten to know my group mates and mentor well and also had the chance to explore some new software for mobile development (Dart and Flutter!) which has been exciting. The writing aspect of this course has been dominant throughout the semester, and while I understand its importance, I am eager to dig more into the codebase and start refining our final application. Looking back on the semester, a few instances come to mind of when our team had to navigate our way through some roadblocks.

I would say the challenges evolved a bit throughout the duration of the quarter. Initially our biggest concern was being able to coordinate between all of the group mates to set up meeting times that worked for everyone. Since we are spread all over the globe, finding an agreed time for a Zoom meetup was a tricky task. Once this was figured out, the issue of effective asynchronous work had to be tackled. Although I said before I am glad to have some of the larger writing assignments behind me, they did provide good practice on asynchronous collaboration before undertaking the task of working on an actual codebase.

After the initial logistical challenges came the daunting task of digging into the existing codebase in a meaningful way. I have been grateful for our mentor this semester, who suggested we start by simply fixing linting errors to gain familiarity with the project layout and learn some Dart and Flutter fundamentals. Starting small was a big part of building understanding efficiently. Often in the past I have dove in too early and end up in over my head. Taking smaller steps towards the goal can sometimes be more effective than giant, unsure leaps. While it has still been difficult at times to diagnose issues due to unfamiliarity with Dart and Flutter, steady study of the languages has lead to breakthrough moments. Digging through code issues as a team and collaborating in a GitHub repo has been a rewarding experience.

I have been very satisfied with my capstone experience thus far, and feel it has provided me with tools to succeed in the professional world. The next few quarters should be exciting as we dig more into the code and begin to craft an application that can look like a finished, usable product. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!